The extent of clinical practice
The degree programme in Nursing is 210 credits, of which a part is done as professional development in clinical practice. In the nursing curriculum, there are 75 credits of clinical practice. In addition, the bachelor’s thesis 15 credits are counted towards clinical practice credits. In Laurea UAS we follow a module-based curriculum, and each module has professional development in practice to integrate the module’s theoretical content into the clinical practice.
The aim of the clinical practice
The clinical practice aims to support the student’s professional growth towards the nursing profession. Its goal is to deepen the theoretical knowledge so that the student’s clinical nursing skills meet the general nursing competence requirements that align with the EU directives. The general goals of the practice are the goals mentioned in the curriculum, which are written as learning objectives in each practice. The students write their own goals while considering their background and interests. Based on the criteria mentioned above, the students create their own skilled-based goals with the supervising nurse and the supervising teacher so that the goals are in harmony with the students’ theoretical studies and personal interests and the practice place requirements.
You can find more detailed information about professional development in practice from Canvas – Degree clinical practice –workspace.
Choosing the practice placement
When choosing the clinical practice place, students should consider their career plans and the study unit goals. You can book a practice placement from any Finnish Health Care setting. The practice placements are booked primarily from Jobiili. Laurea UAS must have a clinical practice agreement with the practice places. There are still organizations and placement units that do not announce available placements in Jobiili. You can contact these places by phone. However, first, check if the placement in question is in Jobiili or not.
If the organization or unit has already announced available placements in Jobiili (e.g., HUS, the city of Helsinki), you should not contact them to ask for a placement by phone or email. If there are open weeks in Jobiili, you can ask the unit’s contact person mentioned in Jobiili about supplementing the placement weeks.
Practice placement agreement and insurance
All Laurea UAS students are insured during their clinical practice. Insurances are up to date with the clinical practice places booked via Jobiili. If the clinical practice place is booked outside Jobiili, the practice coordinator will confirm that the practice agreement between the clinical practice place and Laurea UAS is up to date.
Evaluation of the clinical practice
The clinical practice is evaluated as pass /fail. During the clinical practice, the students receive feedback from their supervising tutor with the idea that the given feedback supports and guides the students toward reaching their goals. During the feedback discussions, the aim is to provide constructive feedback that helps the students to achieve their goals. The supervising teacher will check and approve the students’ goals at the beginning of the clinical practice and ask, if needed, to update them. Mid and end evaluations are done either face to face or via telephone or using other distance guidance tools. The evaluation discussion aims to evaluate the student’s professional growth and the integration of nursing skills and knowledge. At the end of the placement, the student must also write a self-evaluation based on their set objectives.
Paid work as part of studies (TOPI) and international student exchange
In social and health care, professional development in practice can also be done as paid practice. This means the student finds a work position as a substitute registered nurse. The paid practice follows the TOPI guidelines and can be done during the end part of the studies. Professional development in practice can also be done abroad in different healthcare settings. Please read further information regarding internship abroad.